


Playing Favorites

by RobinNightngale



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Gen, M/M, deaged
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-09 04:09:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8875402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobinNightngale/pseuds/RobinNightngale
Summary: Jason encounters a little magicked tornado and ropes in Tim in hopes he can handle it.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [curiouslyfic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/curiouslyfic/gifts).



> Happy holidays and hope you like it!

For Red Hood, patrols often didn’t have a lot of variance in them unless he went out of his way to look for something new. He had his stake in Gotham that he worked with regularity, and had his targets he set his sights on but weird shit didn’t usually just drop in his lap.

That of course made it very odd when he heard a shout followed by what he could best describe as the sound of some magical bullshit explosion going down. After being in the business for so many years one just sorta got a feel for certain sounds that couldn't be put into words. As Jason turned the corner of an alleyway to see a man fleeing and a bundle of fabric struggling, he knew his instinct hadn't been off the mark.

For only a second he hesitated, bad guy or bundle, only for that split second though. Who knew what could happen if he left a squirming defenseless being in the middle of one of Gotham’s worst areas. Running to it, he began to untangle the black fabric for some hint of what was hiding.

“Oh shit… Huston, we have a problem…”

 

Tim knew he shouldn't be pulling all nighters. He knew it wrecked his health, destroyed any semblance of a sleep schedule, and would invoke Alfred’s sixth sense and his inevitable vengeance of disappointed stares. He liked to think he knew himself well enough to know when he was pushing his luck. The seven empty coffee mugs piled around him and telling himself this was a way for them to get ahead of this new crime streak seemed to say something else.

More than anything sleep probably would have helped. His body seemed to have overridden his mind on that one as he didn't remember passing out on his laptop when the doorbell jerked him awake. It took longer than he’d like to admit to untangle himself and make himself seemingly presentable for whatever was beyond the door.

Whatever existed in the realm of possibilities behind that door, Jason Peter Todd holding a small scowling five year old didn't come close.

“Jeez, you need better sleeping habits. I can make out the key marks on your face,” The older man snapped as he passed the still bleary young man. 

“Uh… Why did you kidnap a little girl..?”

“I didn't kidnap her, I found her,” Jay replied succinctly as he set her down on the kitchen counter, busying himself with readjusting the engulfing black tunic she was in.

“You know there are some trusted or-”

“Cass.”

Tim froze and stared at the small child. She pointed a chubby little thumb at herself and repeated, “Cass.”

“Now he gets it…” Jason sighed.

    

After an hour our so Tim got caught up on the situation and had found one of his t shirts for their deaged sister to use as a dress.

“Why here?” Tim stared at Jason as the little girl toddled around their feet, attempting to regain normal mobility.

“I dunno. My place has too many guns and bombs lying around.”

“You don't keep them just lying around.” Tim knew that very well. In the past few months they'd been working more and more together, and they'd had quite a few planning sessions at the older’s safe houses.

“Fine, I knew out of the places she'd be the most comfortable even without her memory this would be the safest. There's not so many wires and electronics around here or deep yawning chasms for her to fall in.”

Without batting an eyelash, Tim scoped Cass up as she tried to grab at the sculpture Dana had made him for his birthday in her art therapy class. “No.”

In an instant the water works started. Tim leveled a stern look at Jason whose eyes widened. “You’re not just dropping her off and leaving, oh no, you're not getting out of this that easily.”

 

Two days in and Babs was already on the trail on whatever magic user had decided to toddlerfy the Black Bat. According to Jason that was two days too slow. Both his and Tim’s lives had come to a screeching halt, all because they couldn't let Cass out of their sights. While Tim went to Wayne Tech Jay was attempting to dislodge her from the fish tank, and they had alternated patrols so far but even that proved exhausting for both. 

“Fuck this,” Tim snapped as he sharply closed a case file.

“Didn't you just lecture me yesterday about impressionable ears?” Jason replied as he jostled the little girl on his thighs.

“Yes, but now I'm frustrated. I'm calling in backup to cover our patrols,” he paused and looked over at the pair. “...What are you doing?”

“Skiing, duh.”

“Duh, duh!” Cass choruses before letting out a screech of delight which for some reason swishing noises out of the fearsome vigilante.

“Have you never skied?” There was a dazed sort of tone as Jay peered up at the younger man.

“Of course I have, I wouldn't have made a good Robin if I didn't.” He quickly sent off a text. 

“I meant as a kid dumbo.”

“Dumbo, duh dumbo!” Cass smacked at Jay in her enthusiasm. 

"Told you she'd pick up on words.” Tim walked over and scooped her up as the other winced. He proceed to place her in a cardboard box strategically positioned in a corner of the kitchen.

“Three things. Why only some words, remind why the fucking box again, and why are you avoiding my question?”

“Cain deprived her of a majority of her language development so I figured if this is her actual five year old brain she still has a sizeable gap in that department and will struggle with it. I think she picks up on what you say because she likes you more. Now again, the box is only temporary until we can come up with a better time out spot. Do I really have to remind you what happened last time?”

Jason sighed, “No, I am fully aware that she went into my guest room and went through all my drawers and proceeded to use the concussive grenades as billiard balls.”

Glancing at the other man Tim sighed, “If you help me make dinner I’ll answer your last question.”

A glimmer appeared in Jay’s eyes as he smiled and bounced to his feet. “I'll make a chef out of you in no time hot stuff.”

Tim’s cheeks pinkened, “Yeah yeah, just don't go buying ‘Kiss the cook’ aprons yet.”

 

By the end of the week Nightwing and Batman had chased down the solid leads to some wanna be with an artifact in Star City. The whole time had been a whirlwind for Tim. Now Jason basically lived with him, Cass had run behind his legs every time she knew she did something wrong too. If course he didn't take that too personally, but he'd never guess she Jay could be such a softy.

Any time the word no came close to leaving his mouth the other would start to hem and haw. His only saving grace was that Jason knew he was being played. They had an established routine now, he'd make some comment, Tim’d raise an eyebrow, then the stars down would start.

How quickly they fell into this seemingly domestic routine should worry him almost as much as he enjoyed it, but he didn't want to go there just yet. Not now when it was coming to a close, when he started to feel an ache in his chest. There was something nice about opening the front door and hearing laughter and talking in a normally dead silent house. 

He mulled it over as he left his study, walking the familiar path in search of his friends. As Tim entered the living room he realized something, there was no noise. Worry crept through him like a sickening bike as he strained for some indication of their location. 

To his left he heard the smallest content sigh escape and all the tension left his body. On the floor right now front of the couch laid Jason passed out on his back, and right on top of his chest curled up in a ball with a fistful of his shirt was a sleeping Cass.

Tim leaned against the back of the couch, chin resting on his hand as he watched them somehow still be in his life. A soft smile crossed his lips, maybe when this was over not much would actually change.


End file.
